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Business Crime Defence Solicitors

Facing a regulatory or criminal investigation at your business? We can guide you through what to expect and what you need to do to protect yourself and your business.

Worried that an offence may have been committed within your business? We can review your situation and provide clear advice on your legal position and options to avoid prosecution and/or minimise any penalties.

Need expert representation to defend your business? We are one of the country’s leading teams of business defence solicitors and we are here for you.

Whether you are a sole trader, partnership or a limited company, at ABR solicitors we appreciate that any investigation or prosecution is a stressful time.

Our specialist business defence solicitors can assist with matters including:

Our business defence lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be at your side for every stage of an investigation and any subsequent prosecution.

We represent clients all over the UK, regularly handling cases involving many millions of pounds. As such, we can provide seasoned expertise to give you the best chance of avoiding charges or securing the best available outcome where prosecution is unavoidable.

We are experienced in handling investigations and prosecutions by the police, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), HMRC, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Trading Standards and more.

We will work with you to minimise the disturbance to your business and ensure you can get back to focusing on running your business as soon as possible. Our team are always mindful of the potential damage to the reputation of a business and will do everything we can to protect your image during this difficult time.

Get immediate expert representation for your business

If you need immediate expert advice and representation for your business, please contact your local ABR Solicitors office in Leeds, Liverpool, London or Nottingham.

What our specialist business defence lawyers can offer you

ABR Solicitors has advised businesses, company directors, senior managers and self-employed people for many years in relation to all types of regulatory and criminal proceedings.

Our business defence solicitors can quickly assess your situation and provide clear, realistic advice on your legal position, the likely outcomes and your options.

We are recognised by the Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice) as an expert legal firm able to handle the largest fraud cases prosecuted as we are a member of the Very High Cost Case panel.

ABR Solicitors holds the following awards:

  • Fraud Law firm of year – UK (Corporate Intl 2020)
  • Fraud Law firm of year – UK (M&A Today Global Awards 2020)
  • Fraud Law firm of year – UK (ACQ5 Global Awards 2020)
  • Fraud Law Firm of year – UK (Global Law Experts 2020)
  • Criminal Defence firm of the year (Finance Monthly 2020)
  • Leading Specialist Criminal Defence Firm of year – UK (Global 100 2020)
  • Criminal Law firm of year – UK (Corporate America Today 2020)
  • Criminal Defence Law Firm of year – UK (M & A Today Global Awards 2020)
  • Criminal Law Firm of year – UK (Corporate Intl 2020)
  • Criminal Defence Law firm of year – UK (Global Law Experts 2020)
  • Best Practice Operator – UK (ACQ5 Country awards (every decade) 2020)

We are independently recognised as one of the leading business defence teams in the country. We are ranked Band 1 for Crime and Band 2 for Financial Crime by leading client guide Chambers & Partners, while the prestigious Legal 500 client guide ranks us Tier 1 for General Crime and Tier 2 for Fraud in Yorkshire and the North East.

Rob Rode who leads the team is described as “an extremely impressive and dynamic team leader” who “combines fearless tenacity with an exceptionally personable attitude”. He is an “experienced charismatic fraud lawyer”.

How we can protect your business against allegations of wrongdoing

Advice on whether an offence has been committed

Given the complex legal and regulatory environment in which businesses must operate, it is often unclear whether an offence has been committed and, if so, how serious the offence is.

If you have reason for concern, our business defence solicitors will be happy to review your circumstances and advise you on whether we believe an offence may have occurred. If it seems there has been an offence, we can guide you through your options, giving you the best chance of avoiding prosecution or minimising any penalties as appropriate.

Self-reporting

In some cases where an offence has occurred, it may be in your best interests to self-report the matter to the relevant agency. This can potentially allow you to avoid a prosecution and keep any penalties to a minimum. Self-reporting can also potentially allow the matter to remain private, protecting your reputation, as well as minimising the disruption and cost to your business.

Our business defence solicitors can advise you on whether self-reporting is a good option for your situation. Where you decide to pursue this route, we can guide you through the process, keeping you and your business protected.

Dealing with regulatory and criminal investigations

Regulatory and criminal investigations are typically very stressful and confusing to deal with, especially given how serious the consequences can be for you and your business. It is therefore critical to get the right legal support at every stage of an investigation.

Our business defence lawyers can guide you through every stage of a criminal or regulatory investigation, ensuring you meet your legal obligation to comply with investigators while avoiding risk of compromising your defence in the event of a prosecution.

Representation for prosecutions

Should you or your business face prosecution, you need to have the very best defence team  in your corner. The consequences of a successful prosecution can be very serious, with the potential for fines, prison sentences and director disqualification depending on the nature of the offence.

Our specialist business defence lawyers have an excellent success rate in defending clients prosecuted for both regulatory and criminal offences. We can ensure your defence is prepared and presented effectively, with no detail or potential angle of defence overlooked.

Our team has developed excellent working relationships with a number of highly regarded specialist defence barristers over the years, so we can ensure you have first-class representation in court. Wherever possible, we will help you to avoid conviction or secure lower penalties where conviction cannot be avoided.

Applications to vary restraint orders

Where the police, HMRC, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) or other agency believe that an offence has been committed at your business, they may apply to a court for a restraint order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). This can be used to freeze both business and personal assets with the potential for major disruption to your commercial operations and to you personally.

We regularly advise clients dealing with restraint orders and have a very good track record of success in having the conditions or restraint orders varied to match our clients’ needs. Should you or your business have been made subject to a restraint order, we will do everything we can to get you access to any property and assets you need.

Speak to our business defence solicitors today

If you need immediate expert advice and representation for a regulatory or criminal investigation or prosecution, please contact your local ABR Solicitors office in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham or Birmingham.

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